Chapter 1: The Price of Truth
Emily didn’t blink.
“I’m sure.”
The rain outside hammered against the glass walls like a warning. Victor studied her—not as a maid, not as background noise—but as a variable he had never accounted for.
“Dominic,” he said quietly, “lock down the garage. No one leaves.”
Within seconds, chaos moved in silence. Orders were whispered. Guns were checked. Doors sealed.
Victor stepped closer to Emily. “If you’re wrong—”
“I’m not.”
For a moment, something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
Then he turned. “Bring the car up remotely. No one touches it.”
They watched from behind reinforced glass as the SUV was started from a distance.
First ignition.
Nothing.
Second ignition—
The explosion ripped through the underground garage, a violent bloom of fire and steel. The shockwave rattled the entire mansion.
Emily flinched.
Victor didn’t.
But slowly… his gaze returned to her.
May you like
And for the first time in years, Victor Callaway realized someone had just saved his life.
“Find Marcus Reed,” he said, his voice colder than the explosion. “Alive.”
